Carbon paper support for accounting machines



y 1944. w. A. ANDERSON 2,349,693

CARBON PAPER SUPPORT FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Filed May 1, 1942 2SheetsSheet 1 INVENTOR WALTER A. ANDERSON ATTORNEY y 1944- w. A.ANDERSON CARBON PAPER SUPPORT FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Filed May 1, 1942'2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WALTER A. ANDERSON BY i;

4 'ITORNEY Patented May 23, 1944v UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE cannonPAPER surron'r FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Walter Anderson, Bridgeport,Conn., assignor to Underwood Elliott Fisher Company, New York, N. Y., acorporation of Delaware Application May 1, 1942, Serial N 0. 441,339

Claims.

This invention relates to paper carriages for accounting. machines, andmore particularly to have the carbon paper interleaved between these twosheets and line spaced therewith. This results in a. waste of carbonpaper, in that the space between the lines of printing is unused.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide meansfor advancing the carbon paper only the necessary amount, and only atsuch times as it is found necessary.

A further object is to provide a means that will hold the carbon papersecurely in its adjusted position, and which may be readily released,and latched in released position to permit easy insertion, removal oradjustment of the carbon sheets.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterwhich is constructed of a few inexpensive parts, and which may be easilyassembled.

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention consists incertain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, theessential elements of which are set forth in ap- .pended claims, and apreferred embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference tothe drawings which accompany and form part of the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of a carriage equipped with the presentinvention,

Figure 2 is a right side elevation of the forward portion of thecarriage showing the front feed bail closed and the carbon clamped inprintin); position, I

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but with the front feed bailopened,

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but with the carbon supportingdevice shown released ready for adjustment of the carbon,

Figure 5 is a perspective taken from the rear and showing the carbonholding device in effective, clamping position, and

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

the type of carriage used on the machines disclosed'in the U. S. PatentsNos. 2,060,954 and 2,194,270, issued to Oscar J. Sundstrand on November17, 1936, and March 19, 1940, respectively, or on those disclosed in U.S. Patents Nos. 2,185,424 and 2,275,671, issued to Walter A. Anderson onJanuary 2, 1 940, and March 10, 1942, respectively. The invention is animprovement on the Carbon paper support disclosed in U. S. Patent No.2,236,589, issued to Walter A. Anderson on April 1, 1941.

Carriage in general Referring to Figure 1, the carriage is mounted formovement along a track I. As the carriage moves from right to left, itis stopped in various columnar positions so that type bars (not shown)on the accounting machine may print on the work forms fed around aplaten 2. The mecha nism for tabulating the carriage from column tocolumn and for returning it to its initial position is disclosed in theabove-mentioned Patent No.

tions of the machine by suitable feed pawl mechanism (not shown)cooperating with teeth on a ratchet wheel I secured to shaft 6. Thismechanism is disclosed in the above-enumerated Patent No. 2,060,954.

Mechanism for guiding and holding Paper For introducing front fedsheets, a pair of guide chutes l0 and II (Figure 1) are provided. Thesechutes are formed with sides 12 which act front fed as edge guides, andare secured on separate The invention is illustrated in connection withbrackets l3 mounted for sliding movement along rods M. The opposite endsof rods M are secured by screws, such as l5, to upstanding arms l6,pivoted on semi-cylindrical studs 'll (see also Figure 2). Arms I6 areheld in engagement with studs ll by studs, such as 20 (Figure 2) securedin the carriage side walls. In operation, this bail structure is swungforwardly from what is known as the closed position shown in Figures 1and 2, to what is known as the open position shown in Figure 3, thepaper then inserted, and the bail swung back to the position shown inFigures 1 and 2.

After the paper is passed downwardly through the chutes, it is directedunder the platen, first by the upper portion of a plate 2| (Figure 3)secured to the frame of the accounting machine. Plate 2| deflects thepaper toward a guide which takes the form of a lip 22 secured on asquare rod 23 pivoted in the carriage side walls. Movement of the bailto closed position causes the lip to pivot upwardly from the positionshown in Figure 3 to a position quite close to the platen, as shown inFigure 2, in the manner disclosed in Patent No. 2,185,424. This servesto bend the paper around the platen from a position below the printingpoint. Pressure rolls such as 24 (Figure 1) are provided to hold thepaper firmly against the platen abovethe printing point.

Mechanism for guiding and feeding rear fed paper The rear fed paper maybe a single sheet, as shown in Figure l, or may take the form of acontinuous journal sheet as illustrated in Patent No. 2,185,424.

It first passes over a paper table 25 extending across the entire widthof the carriage. The paper table 25 is suitably secured to the carriageside walls and extends downwardly to a point quite close to the platen,and is held at its lower end securely in the carriage frame by screws(not shown). Two paper guides 26 lie over the paper table 25 and areadjustably mounted on a rod (not shown) in the manner disclosed in theabove-mentioned patent.

After passing over the paper table 25, the journal sheet passes betweenthe platen and rear feed rolls such as 3i (Figure 2) and then continuesaround the platen 2 and passes under a tear plate 32 that extendslengthwise of the carriage above platen 2. Flanges 33 are formedintegral with the upper edge of plate 32 on the opposite ends thereof.These flanges are secured to brackets 34 which, in turn, are mounted onthe upper rod l4 of the bail structure to rigidly support the tear platein position above the platen. The upper edge of plate 32 is s'errated asat 35 between flanges 33 to facilitate tearing of a completed portion ofthe rear fed journal sheet or a used portion of the carbon.

Mechanism for holding and adjusting carbon paper Mechanism is providedto hold a sheet 'or strip of carbon paper 36 along its upper edge. Thecarbon paper is interleaved between ledger sheet 4 and journal sheet 3,and may take the form of a continuous strip fed from a supply roll (notshown) or a single sheet, as shown, terminating at approximately thatpoint indicated by the arrow 31 in Figure 2. The means for holding thecarbon paper along its upper edge comprises a bail 38 having flangedends 4| and 42 that fit within corresponding flanges 43 and 44 formed onthe opposite'ends of plate 32. Flanges 4| and 42 are pivoted to flanges43 and 44 on studs 45. Flange 42 is/formed with an upstanding projection46 having a horizontally disposed flange 41 formed on its upper end thatserves as a finger piece to rock bail 38 counterclockwise as viewed inFigure 2, away from tear plate 32. A spring 48, connected at one end toa pin secured in projection 46 and at its opposite end to a pin 52secured on the underside of the adjacent flange 33, normally tensionsbail 38 clockwise (Figure 2) about studs 45 to hold the body portion ofthe bail against plate 32, A latch 53 having a finger piece 54 extendingupwardly through a slot 55 in flange 41 is pivoted at on projection 46.

A pin 58 fixed on latch 53 extends through an arcuate slot 6i inprojection 46. A spring 51 connected at one end to pin 58 and at itsopposite end to a pin 62 secured in projection 46, normally tensions thelatch counterclockwise (Figure 2) about pivot 56. In this position, theforward end of latch 53 rests on the top of the adjacent flange 33. Bail38 has a plurality of inwardly projecting nodes 63 (Figures 5 and 6)secured at spaced points therealong, that fit within correspondinglyspaced apertures 64 provided in tear plate 32.

When it is desired to insert a sheet or strip of carbon, the front feedbail structure is moved from the closed position shown in Figure 2 tothe open position shown in Figure 3. The operator, by exerting a slightdownward pressure on finger piece 41 (Figure 4). rocks bail 38counterclockwise about studs 45 against the tension of spring 48 untilthe forward end of latch 53 engages the forward edge of the left flange33, under the tension of spring 51, as shown in Figure 4, to hold theparts latched in this position. The amount of movement of bail 38 issuflicient to withdraw nodes 63 from apertures 64 and to providesufficient clearance between the inner faces of the nodes and the innersurface of tear plate 32 to permit easy insertion and adjustment ofcarbon 36. Following such adjustment, the operator releases bail 38 byexerting a. slight rearward pressure upon the finger piece 54 of latch53 causing it to swing to the dot-and-dash line position shown in Figure4.- Immediately upon release of the latch, bail 38 swings clockwise(Figure 3) under the tension of spring 48 causing nodes 63 to firmlypress the portions of the carbon lying opposite to the nodes intoaperture 64, as shown in Figure 6, to securely grip the carbon in itsadjusted position.

As before stated, it has been customary to advance the carbon with thework forms when the latter are line spaced, the same sheet of carbonbeing used over and over for successive work forms until the carbonceases to give satisfactory impressions. With the present mechanism,however, the carbon is not advanced with the work forms but is kept inone location for successive impressions, until it no longer givessatisfactory impressions, whereupon it is advanced only an amountsufficient to bring a fresh carbon impression line into alignment withthe printing line of the platen. This permits the entire carbon surfaceto be used. Line adjustment of the carbon is made in identically thesame manner as described in the foregoing.

The proximity of finger piece 54 of latch 53 to plate 32 and bail 38permits the operator to release the latch by using the finger of onehand while the carbon is held by both hands in its adjusted position.This precludes slippage of the carbon in the interim between theadjustment and the release of bail 38 to carbon holding position. Whenthe carbon has been advanced an appreciable amount, the sulplus usedportion may be torn off along the serrated edge of the tear plate, thuspreventing such used portion from contacting and smudging the journalsheet 3.

It has been found in practice that this construction effects aconsiderable saving of carbon paper since full use is made of each lineon the carbon in each adjustment thereof, the adjustment not being madeuntil a particular line ceases to give satisfactory carbon impressions.It has also been found in practice that, by the provision of latch 53,carbon adjustment and insertion of a new carbon is greatly facilitatedby allowing the operator the use of both hands for performing theseoperations and by completely relieving tension on the carbon during itsadjustment.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirablyadapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understoodthat it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form ofembodiment herein disclosed for it is susceptible of embodiment invarious forms all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. In a paper carriage having a platen, means situated above the platenfor holding a sheet of carbon paper in printing position, saidmeanscomprising a plate, a bail pivoted on the plate, means normallyurging the ball into contact with the plate to hold a sheet of carbontherebetween, a finger piece for rocking the bail away from the plate,and means on the bail for latching the bail in its rocked position.

2. In a paper carriage having a platen, means for supporting a sheet ofcarbon paper in printing position, said means comprising a plate and abail pivoted together above the platen to form a clamp, means normallyurging the ball into contact with the plate, said plate having spacedapertures therein, nodes on the bail opposite the apertures and fittingtherein, means on the bail for rocking it out of clamping relation withthe plate, and means for latching the bail in such rocked position.

3. In a paper carriage having a platen, a tear plate having spacedapertures therein mounted above the platen, means for supporting a sheetof carbon paper in printing position, said means comprising a bailpivoted on the plate, meang normally urging the ball into contact withthe to hold the carbon paper in adjusted position between the bail andthe plate and release the latch with one hand.

4. In a paper carriage having a platen, a tear plate mounted above theplaten, means for holding a sheet of carbon paper in printing position,said means comprising a clamping member pivoted on the tear plate, aspring normally urging the clamping member into contact with the tearplate, means on the clamping member to enable rocking of member out ofcontact with the plate against the tension of the spring, a latch on themember operable when the clamping member is rocked out of clampingposition to hold the member in such rocked position, and means on thelatch to facilitate release thereof following adjustment of the carbonpaper between the plate and the clamping member.

5. In a paper-holding device for paper carriages having a roller platen,a pair of members hinged together and supported above the platen, meansnormally urging opposite faces of the members toward each other inpaper-holding relation, means on the members for securely gripping asheet of paper between the members, and means on one of the members forreleasably latching said member out of paper-holding relation with theother of said members to facilitate adjustment of the paper between themembers.

WALTER A. ANDERSON.

